Abstract

Recent budget allocations to tertiary education sector are challenging many universities, especially small regional campuses, to explore the use of innovative ways for delivering more cost efficient teaching services, and providing their students with an improved teaching/learning environment. This paper describes continuous efforts in teaching, research and training diverse groups of science students at a regional campus in Western Australia. One efficient way to reduce financial expenses associated with practical experimental work and laboratory activities was to develop and use proprietary softwares for teaching technology related subjects. This involved the students in real life like prototyping activities, through modelling and simulations, resulting later in the production of real products that suited their interest. Results showed that the effectiveness was in the development of flexible teaching delivery, sustainable cost efficient learning environment and improvements in the following measures: unit organisation, learning scope, evaluation of learning resources and context and overall satisfaction.